According to EnterpriseMobileToday.com, at least one report has surfaced, by Taiwan-based DigiTimes, that Google is close to unveiling the first of the new portables. The products would debut later this month, according to the report, which would put it about right on schedule given Google's statements at last November's media preview event. Google officials said the first units would start appearing in a year in time for the holiday shopping season.

Wither Google's Chrome OS-powered netbook? Or is it a notebook or a smartbook?

A year ago, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) previewed plans to help launch a new generation of "Pro netbooks" designed to run Web-services powered by Google's Chrome operating system. A spokesman for Google would neither confirm or deny an announcement is coming. "We don't comment on rumor or speculation," he said.